Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-06-23
THE FARM.
OPERATING THE MOWER.

| OFEhAIlNG The MOWER.
Take up the wear of the boxes, by re
moving the stufing. If the journal:
have too much play they cut fast. Bu'
if the boxes fit too closely, they will
heat. The thickness of newspaper al
around each is sufficient play. Examine
all the nuts and tighten any that are
loose. A loose nut will cause the ma
chine to wear or break; and will loose
off in the field, causing a vexatious delay
at the least. II any nut is very loose
place leather washer under it, and
| sink the nut in. Assure yourself that
there is no week place in the whiffie-
trees. They always break at the wrong
moment, and may allow the machine
and your team to mire down in muddy
spot. Mind the sickles. Every mower
should be provided with three sickles, SO
that as soon as one becomes dulled, an
other may be put in its place. A dull
sickle does ragged" cutting and will
| increase the wear and draft of the ma
| chine One-half. Observe if the sickle
bar is not warped; and if the points of
the sections are in perfectly straight
| line. A section out of line will wear
| fast and increase the draft. Try the sec
| tions, and tighten any that are loose. A
loose section is apt to cause breakage
| A loose guard will produce the same re-
suit. See that the tool box contains
h m nj u.
cts, bolts, wire and nails; the lack OF
these will often require a trip from the
| field to the tool house. If any journals
have rusted, use coal oil, every few min.
utes, for the first half hour, driving
slowly; and it is well to use coal oil
on the track of the sickle, to clear of
the gum that gathers from the grass. The
machine oil often sold is poor stuff is
often necessary to add castor oil to give
it body. If too much of the latter is
used, however. it will gum. We have
never used anything that gave higher
satisfaction than lard (unsalted) with
castor oil added to give it little body
If the lard is taken to the field hot, in
the morning, the sun will keep it liqui
| fed during the day.
hAhlNG O1ONEh Hal.
Cut the clover as soon as you can see
any heads turning brown. Cut at this
stage, the clover will make less weight
than if cut later; but it will have q
greater food value. larger part of il
being digestible. AS the heads ripen
the percentage of woolly fibre in the
plant steadily increases. Cut as soon as
the earliest blossoms begin to turn, it is
more troublesome to cure than if cot
later; but this is more than compensat-
ed for by the greater value of the second
crop, whether it is cut for hay or seed
When cut at the right season and we'll
cured. the nutritive value of clover hay
is fully equal to that of timothy, and is
greater in many food combinations. on
account of its higher albuminoid ratio.
Glover is injured by too much sun. A
very hot sun is not desirable,as it"burns''
the clover, making the leaves so brittle
that they will break off in handling. If
allowed to get too ripe before it is cut,
or if cut when the dew is on, the effect
is of the same nature. 1t will cure out
not little in the cock, and this curin g
is more desirable than sun-drying. The
best weather for clover-hay making is
when the sun is not very hot and the
air is dry. The worst weather is-uD-
fortunately, not uncOmmOn-hot sun
and moist atmosphere; then the hay
burns out" and sudden showers may be
expected.
Glover hay will not keep in a stack,
unless the stack is protected by better
material. In the west, where most of
the hay is stacked, this is accomplished
by putting timothy on the top. Large
barracks-open sheds-are often used.
These cost but little, and afford good
protection. But nothing else equals a
good NOW; and nearly all the value of
clover hay depends upon its curing and
keeping.